Margaret Beaufort

Survivor, Rebel, Kingmaker

Lauren Johnson

The fascinating, colorful life of Margaret Beaufort, who survived the Wars of the Roses to become mother of the Tudor dynasty.

Born into a century of conflict, Margaret Beaufort, the daughter of the Duke of Somerset and a descendent of Edward III, was married at the age of twelve. She was a mother, orphan, and widow by thirteen. She survived the vicissitudes of the Wars of the Roses and two further marriages to see her only son, Henry, ascend the throne of England as the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty. Skilled at navigating at dynastic and court politics, she helped to bring about the marriage of Henry VII to Elizabeth of York, a union that would help heal the wounds of a bitterly divided nation.

During Henry's reign, she exerted considerable influence at court, and played a part in the upbringing of her grandson, the future Henry VIII.She was a lifelong artistic patron and supporter of academia. In old age she founded a professorship of divinity and two colleges at Cambridge University.

In this memorable biography, Lauren Johnson brings Margaret Beaufort to vivid life. She delineates the decades of political upheaval that were the backdrop to her long and resilient career, and highlights the shrewdness that kept her afloat amid the churning waters of a brutal civil war. Johnson also tells Margaret's story with a profound and touching humanity. This was a woman whose body had to endure the trauma of childbirth, which nearly killed her, when she was little more than a child herself; who saw her baby boy on only a handful of occasions before he reached manhood; who braved decades of danger and uncertainty, but succeeded in guiding her son—through courage, political astuteness and sheer persistence—to the greatest prize of all: the crown of England.

Lauren Johnson is a historian with a degree from Oxford University.  She is the author of the novel The Arrow of Sherwood and lives in the United Kingdom.

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Endorsements & Reviews

Praise for Lauren Johnson

"Lauren Johnson is a terrific guide to a country on the brink of profound and permanent change, connecting everyday life with the thrust of great political events. This is a gripping and important work from a talented new writer." Dan Jones

"An excellent, immersive description of 1509, the first year of Henry VIII’s kingship. A treat for anyone interested in Tudor daily life. Those wishing for more detail on the court of Henry VIII could read this work alongside the titles of Alison Weir to great advantage." Library Journal

"Johnson looks back at the early years of the infamously much-married, red-faced king, successfully revealing an intelligent, determined teenager. Capturing both the excitement and banalities of daily life from each economic class, Johnson recreates the rhythms of the Tudor era only two decades before Henry himself created seismic shifts that affected all of his subjects." Publishers Weekly

"The political narrative is crisp. An assured an eye-opening introduction to the England of 1509." The Times Literary Supplement